Mother Earth - Alive and Well

May 01, 2010

The month of May joyfully reminds us of the rebirth of nature. In acknowledgment, we celebrate Mother’s Day – honoring our birth mothers, and ultimately our spiritual mothers. Symbolizing the greater gifts of the earth as Mother to all living things, we dedicate one day to recognizing our origins by honoring she who gave us life, and the earth which sustains our life. This month, take a look at your own walk on the planet, and see the many different forces which give birth to your potential.

Safe and secure
From the moment of conception to birth, our life depends on our mother for development. Not only do we grow in the biological sense, but Mother sets the precedent for her role as nurturer and protector. We flourish at an alarming rate of cell duplication and soon, enter the world as a complete physical being. We take for granted Mother is there for us, tending to our basic human infant needs and offering love and support for our emotional growth, as well. Mother taught us to adapt and improvise, demonstrating overcoming obstacles and making way for better things.

Mother Earth, as we experience her, always existed. From the day of our birth to our last day, the constancy of our world never waivers. We depend on gravity and the tides, sunrises and sunsets as the natural and normal courses of each day. We go through each day silently grateful for such support, and if something shakes our foundation, Mother Earth heals herself rather quickly, or she changes entirely in response to the occasion, usually producing a shift greater in magnificence than what suffered the loss.

Direction
Savvy mothers allowed us to make mistakes. While the lessons often eluded us, Mother pointed out that we learn from errors as well as successes. In short, our Mothers provided a sense of direction as well as buoyancy on the rough waters of life. We value her opinion, her steadfastness and her willingness to navigate while we steer the ship ourselves. While patient or not with our explorations, Mother helps us to set goals ourselves while giving us the space to change course and consider different directions.

North and South, East and West, Mother Earth grounds us in geography and geology. We learn our limitations in conquering mountains, rough waters and ocean depths, yet the challenge remains to find an inside passage which best suits our goals. Encountering the inevitable heights of difficulties, or diving deeply into despair, Mother Earth stands unmoved by our machinations and simply “is.” With so much to see and explore, we uncover parts of ourselves as depicted in earthly landscapes. The patient giant, Earth gives us unending opportunity to make mistakes and try again. When our direction becomes clear with all obstacles removed, we advance to even higher ground of who we truly are in the wind of our achievement; we transform into a spiritual being even better than before!

Birth to potential
At the time of birth, no one, including Mother, knew our future. Perhaps her newest bundle of joy would grow to cure cancer, write a symphony or free a nation. Rarely would Mother desire anything negative for her baby. Doing her best with her given conditions and circumstances, Mother nurtured, loved and taught us to develop and pursue our dreams. She provided what loving support possible and released her umbilical hold on our sovereign consciousness so we could venture into the world to experience and achieve our finest potential.

Our Earth Mother provides us with soil to grow our food, oceans and animals to harvest for our nourishment. Learning from her and from one another, we make our way through life by discovering new edible food or methods to improve our chances in hunting and gathering. Mother Earth provides us with a canvas by meeting all our basic needs and freeing us to explore what we do with the palette of pure potential.

Birth to ourselves
As an infant – and more importantly as an adult – we exist as pure potential. As we age, we learn and acquire cynicism and doubt, and many times long to revert back to a womb of protection to shield us from the hazards of the rocky life we befell. When we separate from mother, in the physical and emotional sense, we realize our glory as an autonomous individual and discover the greatness within us. Giving thanks to Mother for all she provided, especially life itself, we expand our horizons and explore possibilities separate from her.

Mother Earth, too, gave birth to man’s potential. In space exploration, we separated from the earth and atmosphere to explore the unknown, moving further and further away. Like a child whose distance-radius expands with confidence, our daring missions away from Earth grow larger with each effort. And, like the child who returns to mother, we return to the earth, compelled by the need for grounding and the pull of gravitational force. When reunited, we share our discoveries with our fellow travelers in the hopes that one day they, too, reach far only to find themselves.

We give thanks to our Mothers and to Mother Earth for nurturing and sustaining us throughout our lifetime. Understanding that direction and guidance give way to discovering our own path, we strive to make the most of our talents and gifts. In separating from the gravitational pull of Mother Earth and the loving connection from Mother, we realize our individuality creates our potential. This month we may share flowers or a meal with Mother, giving her gifts of Earth itself, for they are one, as are we all.